The Lived Experience of Nurses in Conserving the Dignity of Patients With Life-Limiting Illnesses

To explore the experiences of nurses in maintaining the dignity of patients with life-limiting illnesses. A phenomenological study was conducted with 15 purposively selected nurses who provide care for patients with life-limiting illnesses. Colaizzi's naturalistic phenomenological approach was utilized to analyze the data. The study followed the COREQ guidelines for qualitative research reporting. Three themes emerged: (1) Establishing a therapeutic environment, (2) Respecting the humanity of patients, and (3) Strengthening the spirituality of patients. Building trust, providing compassionate care, and motivating patients are integral to establishing a therapeutic environment. Nurses emphasized enhancing patients' spirituality by encouraging religious rituals and supporting positive interpretations of illness from religious perspectives. Creating a therapeutic environment is fundamental to dignified care. In addition, humanized care and spirituality are critical components of providing dignified care. These findings have implications for nursing practice, education, and policy, highlighting the need to integrate dignity into nursing care through humanized and spiritual/religious support.